Figure of the Day: John Liston as “Paul Pry,” 1820-29

John Liston as Paul Pry
1820-1829
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Staffordshire figure, made in the 1820s, depicts John Liston (1776-1846), considered one of the leading comic actors of his day. The figurine shows Liston in character as “Paul Pry” in the play of the same name. This was one of the actor’s most famous roles and, therefore, this is one of several different figurines of Liston as Pry, the nosy and interfering star of the comic play by John Poole, which were produced in the 1820s—each modeled after contemporary engravings. 

Liston made the annoying character seem quite charming, somehow. The play enjoyed considerable success and, even, introduced several of the character’s catch-phrases into the popular vernacular. By 1825, people were quoting “Pry,’ with: “I hope I don't intrude,” “Just dropped in,” and “It's nothing to me,” with considerable gusto, and, soon, the name Paul Pry became a colloquial term for a busybody.

Figure of the Day: A Victorian Fairing, 19th C.

Porcelain Fairing
Germany, 19th C.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Fairings were small porcelain objects (boxes, little cups, vases, etc) of a figural design which were given out as prizes and trinkets at village fairs in Victorian England.  They’re relatively difficult to come by these days since they weren’t really as appreciated at the time as they are today.

The body of this Nineteenth Century fairing is of white porcelain with two figures on the base. One shows a seated man in a dressing gown and night-cap while the other is depicts a woman in casual day attire and a hat, carrying a folded umbrella.  A wee chest of drawers stands behind the figures. The front of the base is outlined in gilding, inscribed with “Missus is Master.”  Ha!

This, like most of the fairings used at British fairs was made in Germany.  Of the factories making them by far the most prolific was Conta and Boehme of Pössneck in Saxony. The subjects of these pieces vary from the innocent (playing children or animals or puns) to the saucy (bedroom frolics or the purely suggestive).

Figure of the Day: The Flower Girl, c. 1760

The Flower Girl
The Bow Porcelain Factory
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This figure from the Bow Porcelain Factory depicts a young woman with a basket of flowers. She symbolizes Springtime with her basket of flowers, her pink bodice and green corsage and diapered skirt of red, yellow and green. Blue circles and stars adorn her outfit and match her blue shoes—topped by pink rosettes.

She’s wholly Rococo on her circular base with applied leaves. This work of soft-paste porcelain painted with enamels and gilding followed the French fashion of porcelain figural groups designed for the dessert table. 

Figure of the Day: The Orange Girl, 1770-1784

The Orange Girl
Niderviller Pottery Factory
France, 1770-1884
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here’s another attractive French porcelain figure which, once, would have graced an elegant dining table in a wealthy household. She would have once been joined by similarly attired figures, but now, she stands alone.

With her pyramid of oranges supported on a tray, she’s clearly an orange seller. Given her station, however, she’s dressed quite well--in that fantastical way in which peasants were portrayed in these figure.

This is the work of the Niderviller Pottery and Porcelain Factory, dating somewhere between 1770 and 1784.

Figure of the Day: The Banyan Man, 1760-1780

The Banyan Man
France, 1760-1780
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The work of The Lunéville Pottery Factory in France, this wholly Rococo figure of a standing man was made to appeal to the Eighteenth Century fascination with the exotic and the asian. The figure is dressed in a turban and a banyan, and is likely a lost member of a set of dessert figurines.

The figure was made of tin-glazed earthenware adorned with enamel colors and dates between 1760 and 1780. 

Figure of the Day: An Actor, 2nd C. BC

An Actor
Etruscan, Second Century B.C.
The British Museum

Made in Italy in the Second Century B.C., this terracotta figure depicts a comic actor. As was the theatrical style of the time, the actor has donned a mask. This mask is a broad representation of a bald slave. He carries something in his hand, but what? Is it a purse? We’re unsure. The figure was found in Carino, Italy and is an excellent representation of the figural work of our Etruscan forebears.

Figure of the Day: Two Putti with Grapes, 1762-1770

Figure Group
French, c. 1760
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The work of the French Crépy-en-Valois Porcelain Factory, this figure group depicts two blond puttis seated face-to-face. Each one is holding a bunch of grapes. Figures like this one were designed to represent the seasons. Typically, those holding grapes denoted Autumn.

The soft-paste group, painted in enamels, was made between 1760 and 1770.

The underside is marked “D.C.O.” Interestingly, the enamel that we see on this figure is a later addition. For years, the piece was attributed to Mennecy, however, that attribution was amended when it was noticed that the figures had been re-fired with newer enameling.

The Home Beautiful: A Figure of Caritas, c. 1759

Caritas
Germany, 1759
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Fürstenberg, Germany (presumably where the family of Diane is von), this figure group of hard-paste porcelain depicts a woman wearing a head-cloth and a flowered smock. Seated upon the sort of Rococo base one would expect from a German figure of the 1750s, the woman is nursing a child while other children are flitting about in various stages of dress. The group obviously is meant to represent Caritas (Charity). It’s the work of the Fürstenberg Porcelain Factory’s chief modeler Johann Christoph Rombrich and dates to about 1759. 

Figure of the Day: Charity, A Staffordshire Figure, 19th C.

Charity
From a Series of the Virtues
Staffordshire, England
C. 1838
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This early Staffordshire figure is part of group meant to depict the virtues of Faith, Hope, Love and Charity. Here, we see Charity in porcelain painted in enamel colors. She is portrayed as a woman in a white robe which is edges in red and covered with a pattern of floral sprigs. 

Charity carries a baby on her left arm as a small child stands by her right side. The rocky, polychrome plinth/mound upon which she stands has been inscribed with her name and is accentuated by a thin, red stripe.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Fabergé Border Terrier, 1907-1908

Border Terrier of Agate and Rose Diamonds
1907-1908, part of the Sandringham Commission
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

This Fabergé figure is part of King Edward VII’s Sandringham Commission which ordered the creation of a menagerie of animals made of gold and precious stones for Queen Alexandra. The animals depicted in these figures reflected the many which lived at Sandringham House.

Made between 1907 and 1908, this sculpture of agate is set with rose-cut diamonds, and depicts a Border terrier. Border Terriers were just one of the many breeds kept in the kennels at Sandringham. The sculptor, now unknown, has done an excellent job capturing the playful character and inquisitive nature of the dog.  

Figure of the Day: A Victorian Fairing, 19th C.

Porcelain Fairing
Germany, 19th C.
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Fairings were small porcelain objects (boxes, little cups, vases, etc) of a figural design which were given out as prizes and trinkets at village fairs in Victorian England.  They’re relatively difficult to come by these days since they weren’t really as appreciated at the time as they are today.

The body of this Nineteenth Century fairing is of white porcelain with two figures on the base. One shows a seated man in a dressing gown and night-cap while the other is depicts a woman in casual day attire and a hat, carrying a folded umbrella.  A wee chest of drawers stands behind the figures. The front of the base is outlined in gilding, inscribed with “Missus is Master.”  Ha!

This, like most of the fairings used at British fairs was made in Germany.  Of the factories making them by far the most prolific was Conta and Boehme of Pössneck in Saxony. The subjects of these pieces vary from the innocent (playing children or animals or puns) to the saucy (bedroom frolics or the purely suggestive).

Sculpture of the Day: "Filch" from "The Beggar's Opera," 1920

Arnold Pilbeam as Filch from "The Beggar's Opera," 1920
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Staffordshire figure by an unknown artist depicts early Twentieth Century actor Arnold Pilbeam as the character of “Filch” from Nigel Playfair's celebrated revival of John Gay's “The Beggar's Opera” which opened at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith in June of 1920.  The production was designed by Claud Lovat Fraser with music re-written and supplemented by Frederic Austin.  This ballad opera featuring traditional tunes and took London by storm.

The revival ran for over three years to much acclaim and its popularity spawned a surprising number of figurines in porcelain and wax representing moments from the show.  This figure is an excellent example of the type of souvenirs produced during the run of the show.  Here, the character stands in a lime green full-length coat much like the actual costume worn in the show.

Figure of the Day: Earth, 1772-1775

Earth
Bristol Porcelain Factory, 1772-1775
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made between 1772 and 1775, this hard-paste porcelain figure is the work of the Bristol Porcelain Factory. Painted in enamels, we have a figure of Earth as a young man with a cloak of dark brown thrown over his shoulders. His sleeveless tunic is adorned with a floral design and, on his feet, he wears purple sandals. His attributes, appropriate for his role, are a basket of produce, a rake and a hoe.

This is one of four figures—emblematic of the Elements: Earth, Wind, Fire and Water—which were produced during the early 1770s by the Bristol factory. 

Figure of the Day: A London Dandy, c. 1754

London Dandy
Meissen
Germany, c. 1754
The Victoria & ALbert Museum

Here’s a German idea of the image of a London Dandy. Made by Meissen around 1754, this figure of hard-paste porcelain is gilded and painted with enamels. The modeler has taken great pains to depict the costume of an English dandy accurately. He’s shown with his long lilac coat, his crimson cuffs, his tri-corne hat, long wig and feathers. The scrolled base is picked out in gold, making it the height of Rococo fun.

The figure is the work of one of my favorite Meissen modelers, Johann Joachim Kändler (1706 -1775).

Figure of the Day: Boy on a Snail, 1907

Boy on a Snail
Wiener Keramik
Austria, 1907
The Victoria & Albert Museum

1907 saw Austrian designer Michael Powolny create sketches for this earthenware and enamel figure of a boy on a snail. The modeling and production was completed at the factories of Wiener Keramik, known for their fine work in Vienna. The underside is marked with the monograms, “MP” and “WK.” Wiener Keramik was founded by Michael Powolny and Berthold Löffler in 1905. In 1919, the successful manufactory became known as Gmundner Keramik.

Art Nouveau, n'cest pas?

Sculpture of the Day: Falstaff in the Laundry, 1850

Parian Group
"The Merry Wives of Windsor"
Worcester, 1850
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Parian ware, as we know, is the unglazed development of biscuit porcelain. The medium became very popular after the Staffordshire firm of Copeland and Garrett introduced it in 1842 as a medium for busts, statuettes and reliefs.

Several different British pottery concerns marketed the medium under a different name but “Parian” remained the generic term after Minton used “Parian” to suggest Paros, the Greek island which supplied a lot the marble used for Classical statuary. Now, to be sure, Parian ware was not inexpensive, however, it was more cost effective than marble, and it gave households the appearance of owning a marble bust or figurine, previously only afforded by the very wealthy.

The Worcester firm, makers of the example we see pictured above, started their production of Parian relatively late in the game. After Worcester launched a range of Parian objects at the Dublin Exhibition in 1853, James Hadley (1837-1903), their chief modeler, created a host of new Parian objects, including the Shakespeare subjects of Lady Macbeth and King Lear. Meanwhile another Worcester modeler, William Boynton Kirk, produced a dozen figural groups based on characters from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

This Worcester piece, dating to about 1850, was most likely modeled by James Hadley (1837-1903) and shows the scene from The Merry Wives of Windsorwhen “Mistresses Page” and Ford humiliate Falstaff in retaliation for his amorous advances by hiding him in a laundry basket which Mrs. Ford's servants, naturally, leave in the river—as one does. The front of the base incised THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Fontana Inkstand, c. 1550

Inkstand
Fontana Workshop, c. 1550
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in the mid-Sixteenth Century, this tin-glazed earthenware inkstand comes from the Fontana Workshop in Urbino, Italy. The inkstand is surmounted by a figure of a young man playing an organ. He is joined by his faithful spaniel who is getting his ear scratched by his master. An inkstand such as this would have been made to appeal to a young gentleman for use in his private study. During this era, a class of urban professional men was developing and many workshops created specialized items to appeal to them. Desk accessories and ink stands were the centerpieces of these collections. Very often, these stands were fitted with compartments for pen, pounce, a paper knife, and scissors. This example once had a sliding drawer which is now missing. 


The scene depicted here shows a fashionable young gentleman dressed in the “uniform” of a nobleman. He sits at an architecturally-designed organ which is being operated by a boy at the reverse operating bellows. The entire group rests on a rectangular stand supported by lion's paws at the corners. At one point in the last five hundred years, the stand was broken, and, then, restored. There’s evidence of restoration to the chair, the brim of the hat, one of the capitals of the organ’s pilasters and the boy’s toes and bellows. 

Figure of the Day: The Staffordshire Elephant, 1866

Staffordshire Elephant
England, 1886
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This earthenware figure of an elephant with a howdah (the carriage on his back) and a figure seated on top was made in Staffordshire, England in 1886 by an unknown modeler.

The figure has been lead-glazed and is painted with a brilliant palette of enamel colors. 

I just love this figure.  It's a real treat.  And, speaking of treats, we'll have this week's "Treat of the Week" on Friday, so make sure to stop by, then.

Mastery of Design: The Dreyfous Rose, Circa 1900

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
via The Royal Collection Trust
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Click on image to enlarge.

Created by Dreyfous, a London jeweler once located at 128 Mount Street, this glittering masterpiece came into the Royal Collection by now unknown means.  Given their collecting habits and tastes, it's a safe bet that this figure of a lilac-pink rose was acquired by either Queen Mary, consort of King George V,  or her mother-in-law Queen Alexandra. 

The piece, made around 1900, depicts a three-dimensional rose and bud in yellow gold, and opaque enamels in graduated pinks, greens and yellows.  The enameled leaves are set with rose-cut diamond dew drops and the bloom is permanently presented in a handsome rock crystal vase.

Figure of the Day: The Kändler Shepherd, 1750-55

Meissen Figure
Germany, 1750-55
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I have a special fondness for the work of the Meissen Porcelain Factory’s modeler Johann Joachim Kändler (1706-1775) who was responsible for several figures of Commedia dell’Arte characters including Pulcinella. Kändler was the genius behind many a set of figures which were designed to be brought out with the dessert course of a lavish meal.

Here’s one of his figures. This shepherd was meant to be part of a pair with a shepherdess. Idealized figures of shepherds were quite fashionable in Germany, France, Italy and Britain when this was made about 1750. The figures were never realistic, but rather showed the shepherd or shepherdess in elegant costumes.

This shepherd of hard-paste porcelain is shown playing bagpipes for his lounging sheep dog and grazing sheep. The high rococo-scrolled base is typical of Kändler’s work. Like it’s brothers, the figure is painted with enamel colors and gilt.